Suite 1901 receives Dubois Award May 11 from Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board

From Don Threewit: The Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board is presenting its annual Dubois Award for Excellence to Suite 1901 at -- you guessed it -- Suite 1901. On Wednesday, May 11, 7-10 p.m. This downtown business is a spectacular example of adaptive reuse of a a hotel and lounge and is the newest of Cheyenne's hot spots. Please join us to celebrate John Harrison and his team's success and imbibe in a tasty infused martini. Any questions, feel free to call me, Don Threewitt, at 307-256-4879

Mother's Day grand-reopening of Night Heron Books in downtown Laramie

From the Downtown Laramie Facebook site: "It was a beautiful Mother's Day downtown. Perfect for celebrating the grand re-opening of Night Heron Books!"

Call for artists: Texas Tech University public art project

Texas Tech University Public Art Committee has issued a call for artists.

Deadline: May 25, 2011.

The Texas Tech University System Public Art Committee is seeking proposals from artists to create large-scale artwork for the new Rawls College of Business Administration building at the Lubbock campus. The final product will contribute significantly to the public art collection at Texas Tech and enhance and compliment the newly constructed 149,000-square-foot facility.

FMI: www.fpc.ttu.edu/fpcweb/publicart/opportunities.jsf

Message of "love, kindness and peace" behind Cheyenne downtown mural project

Artist's depiction of proposed downtown Cheyenne mural

Reporter Becky Orr wrote about "Downtown getting giant cherub mural" in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle:

The building at the southwest corner of 17th Street and Warren Avenue is a tidy brick structure with white shutters near the windows.

Owner Ed Murray wants to expand its purpose. He said he wants to provide an artistically beautiful mural on its south wall for people to enjoy.

The mural will depict a cherub created by 16th-century Renaissance artist Raphael. Murray, a business and property owners in Cheyenne, said he wants the art to help revitalize downtown and become a catalyst for more such works. 

Gillette artist Harvey Jackson will paint the mural on the south wall. It will be about 47 feet tall and 60 feet wide. “It’s nice to convey a message of love and peace and understanding,” Jackson said, especially given the turmoil in the world. 

Currently, a painting of a green martini glass covers part of the south wall’s red surface. The glass is part of the state’s message against underage drinking. 

Murray considered a western theme for the new mural, but nothing “embraced or beckoned” him, he said. 

During their deliberations, Jackson asked Murray what was in his heart that he wanted to project, Murray said. Murray started soul-searching and concluded that he wanted to project a message of love, kindness and peace. An angel is the best way to accomplish that, he said. 

Murray looked at dozens of angel images before he selected the cherub. The image is a departure from a typical western theme. Even so, cherubs have a western connection with their presence in paintings in many Old West saloons, Murray said. 

Jackson expects to start painting in late summer or early fall. It should take 30 to 60 days to complete.

Read the complete article here.

11th annual Native American Business Expo set for May 4 at Intertribal Center in Riverton

The 11th Annual Native American Business Expo/Wind River Business Conference will be held Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at the new Intertribal Center in Riverton. The target market includes those located on the Wind River Indian Reservation, Fremont County, and statewide. This year it has three main focuses: "Artisan, General Business, and Government Contracting."

FMI: Margie E. Rowell, Director, Small Business Development Center, 213 W. Main Street, Suite C, Riverton WY  82501; 1-800-969-8639; http://WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz

Attention arts entrepreneurs: WY Entrepreneur SBDC’s Sustainable Profits program may be for you

From Wyoming Entrepreneur:

Would you like to:

• Upgrade your business to one that is more eco-friendly and
• sustainable?
• Discover new markets and customers?
• Save money by reducing waste and energy costs?
• Develop a business plan to guide you through the process?
• Receive grant funding of up $2000 to help you implement your sustainability plans?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the WyomingEntrepreneur SBDC’s Sustainable Profits program is for you!
Enrollment is free — but limited. Don’t wait. Enroll today!

Understanding and implementing sustainable business practices in your business can save you money, help you reach new markets, provide a healthy and safe workplace for you and your employees, and help your business survive in a world that is increasingly focused on sustainability.

Wyoming Entrepreneur SBDC is offering a valuable training program and grant package to help you understand and implement sustainable business practices in your business. It allows you to become more efficient, profitable and able to serve your customers for years to come.

The Wyoming Entrepreneur Sustainable Profits package is worth up to $2,500 to your business. This free program includes:

• A seven session online course that will guide you through the process of developing a sustainable business plan. This course will include a one-hour webinar each week plus group coaching sessions.
• A year-long license to the powerful online tool, “Solutions at the Speed of Business,” featuring modules on Lighting, Heating and Cooling, and Office Equipment. Visit www.NatCapSolutions.org
• Free consultation offered by the business specialists at Wyoming Entrepreneur.
• Participants who successfully complete the program will be eligible to apply for a grant of up to $2000 that may be used to implement sustainable practices identified in their business plan.

To be eligible for the Sustainable Profits program you must:

• Have been in business at least six months or obtain prior approval to apply from sustainability team.
• Agree to the program terms, specified in the application.
• Be a Wyoming company.

GRANT REQUIREMENTS:

• Complete an application. APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 30, 2011.
• Attend a 7-week online course and participate in group coaching sessions, write a sustainable business plan, and utilize the three “Solutions at the Speed of Business” tools.
• Participants who meet these requirements will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $2000 to support implementation of their sustainability plans.
• Participants will also be expected to report on their progress and outcomes and showcase their successes.

Download

Sustainable Profits Brochure or Sustainable Profits Application

Sunstainible Business Consulting:

Susan Jerke
Regional Director, Wyoming Entrepreneur

2001 West Lakeway Road, Suite D
Gillette, Wyoming 82718

307.682.5232 or in Wyoming 888.956.6060

Email Susan

Wyoming Tribune Eagle: "Mead appreciates art"

Wyoming Tribune-Eagle reporter Karen Cotton attended Friday night's Governor's Arts Awards bash in Cheyenne and wrote about Gov. Matt Mead's first "State of the Arts" speech. Go to

Mead appreciates art - Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online

"Pricing Strategies for Artists" Oct. 30 at Cheyenne Artists' Guild

You are invited to a presentation on "Pricing Strategies for Artists" on Saturday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Cheyenne Artists' Guild, 1701 Morrie Ave., Cheyenne.

Andrea Pressue, director of micro-lending for the Wyoming Women's Business Center, will present.

Artists should bring a rough estimate of their expenses, including insurance, studio space rental, web site hosting fees, etc.

Fee is $15 for members, $20 for non-members.

FMI: http://www.cheyenneartistsguild.org/

Deadline Oct. 8 for Governor's Arts Awards nominations

The Wyoming Arts Council is accepting nominations for the 2010 Governor’s Arts Awards, an annual honor presented to citizens, organizations, businesses or communities in the Cowboy State that make substantial contributions to the arts.

The awards are presented based on accomplishments that reflect substantial contributions made to the arts in Wyoming, and exemplify a long-term commitment to the arts. Nominations must be postmarked no later than October 8, 2010.

To request a nomination form, selection criteria and a list of previous Governor’s Arts Awards recipients, contact the Wyoming Arts Council office at 307-777-7742, or via email at ebratt@state.wy.us. Forms may also be accessed on the Arts Council’s web site http://wyoarts.state.wy.us/.

Previous Governor’s Arts Award recipients are not eligible; however, nomination of previously unselected nominees is encouraged.

Established in 1982, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize excellence in the arts or outstanding service to the arts in Wyoming. These awards were first made possible by an endowment from the Union Pacific Foundation in honor of Mrs. John U. Loomis, a life-long patron of the arts.

Over the years, individuals and organizations from throughout Wyoming have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming. This year is the 29th anniversary of these prestigious awards. This year’s recipients will be honored at a dinner and awards ceremony in Cheyenne, February 11, 2011.

More info available through future blog posts and on the WAC web site.

Entrepreneur workshop not just for artists

"Entrepreneur Workshop" will be held on Saturday, Aug. 28, 9 a.m.-noon, at the Laramie Civic Center, 710 East Garfield, Suite 271, Laramie.

This an entry-level workshop created for all business people (not just artists), to see if entrepreneurship really fits with your lifestyle. You will get a good sense of what it “really” takes to run a successful small business. You will gain the tools to begin to get started on the feasibility of your plan and begin to seriously look at your strengths and weaknesses and how to overcome any problems in those areas prior to actually starting the business. Only $10!

FMI: Rebecca Sissman, Wyoming Women's Business Center, wwbc@uwyo.edu, 307-721-3083

Wyoming entrepreneurs invited to tell their stories on Christmas ornaments

From Wyoming Entrepreneur:

Wyoming is honored to provide the 2010 Capitol Christmas tree for the U.S. Capitol! Wyoming Entrepreneur is sponsoring a "companion tree" that will accompany the official tree to Washington D.C.

You are invited to submit an ornament that tells your story and take part in a social media training and networking event as our tree takes a road trip across the nation to its final destination.

The fee to participate is $50, payable by credit card. The deadline to register is September 10. All submitted ornaments will be featured on our Facebook page.

To register for this exciting project, visit http://www.wyomingentrepreneur.biz/ and click on "An Entrepreneurial Christmas Story." Questions? Call 1-800-348-5194 or email wyenbiz@uwyo.edu

Symposium for artists set for Aug. 5-6 at the Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper

"What’s in Your Business Toolkit?"

A Symposium on the Nuts and Bolts of Managing an Artistic Career will utilize business and creative skills to enhance your visibility as an artist. It is a business development symposium for visual artists at the Nicolaysen Art Museum on August 5-6.

Many artists wonder if it’s possible to make a living doing what they love most.

This two-day smorgasbord of information will illuminate the processes of becoming more visible and financially successful as an artist.

Tips, tricks, professional insights, as well as business skills and development will all be addressed in this symposium.

This symposium will present sessions and panelists that will explore the following subjects: Legal & Finance, Crafting a Business Plan, Marketing, Technology, Pricing & Value, and Accounting.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5

9 a.m.: Introduction

10 a.m.: Accounting 101. This session on basic bookkeeping and accounting will help improve your profitability and teach how to calculate breakeven sales.

11:30 a.m.: Lunch Break

12:30 p.m.: Marketing. This session will explore business professionalism, the art of networking, customer/client cultivation, how to draft artist statements, resume packets, and letters (including proposals and cover letters), how to introduce your work professionally, avoiding market saturation and how to find the right representation or art festival for you.

2:30 p.m.: How to Craft a Business Plan. This session will go over the elements of a good business plan and utilize market research to predict sales.

5 p.m.: Evening Reception (with cash bar)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6

8:30 a.m.: Technology. This session will deal with utilizing and becoming familiar with social and media networks o increase visibility, as well as step by step instructions to creating a presence online.

10:30 a.m.: Legal and Finance. In this session, the ins and outs of drafting and negotiating dealer/festival/museum contracts, and copyright agreements will be analyzed. Also, the options and steps artists should be taking for future financing opportunities will also be discussed.

Noon: Lunch Break

1 p.m.: Pricing & Value I

3 p.m.: Pricing & Value II

These sessions will expore understanding your marketplace, evaluating your work for sale, establishing price points and range—and want to go solobucking the system. Local/regional/national artists discuss how they achieved success in the art world and share personal experiences.

Cost for the Symposium (includes reception, 2 full days of panels, snacks & 2 lunches)

125 Non-members of the NIC
$100 Members of the NIC
$50 Students (with valid ID)
$75 Daily Rate (registration for one day)

Please call the museum at 307-235-5247 (and ask for Amanda Helm) to pay by credit card. Please make all checks payable to the Nicolaysen Art Museum.

Hotel Information (ask for the NIC block rate):

Days Inn- 300 East E St. (I25 and Center St.) 307- 234-1159, $69 a night + tax
Super 8 East- 269 Miracle St. 307-237-8100, $79 a night + tax

Registration will open at 8 a.m. both days.

Registration forms will also be available online at www.thenic.org.

Please call 307-235-5247 for more information and ask for Amanda Helm.

Call for applications: Wyoming Tourism Board

Because tourism is such a huge business in Wyoming, and because much of it is connected directly (and indirectly) to arts and cutural destinations, service on the Wyoming Tourism Board is important to the arts community.

Travel & Tourism just announced this:

The Wyoming Tourism Board has an immediate opening for an unexpired term in District 5 which includes Park, Big Horn, Hot Springs and Washakie Counties.

Board Vision Statement: The Wyoming Tourism Board is the leading proponent of the state’s tourism/hospitality industry. The Board provides governance and policy oversight for the state Office of Tourism, or more commonly known as Wyoming Travel & Tourism.

Board Structure: The board shall be comprised of nine members who shall be employed in or associated closely with the travel industry. The board shall be appointed by the Governor, and approved with the advice and consent of the Senate, in accordance with W.S. 28-12-101 through 12 28-12-103. According to statute, no appointed member shall serve more than two consecutive three-year terms.

For those interested in applying for this vacancy, please click http://governor.wy.gov/boards-and-commissions.html to download the application. Completed applications must be submitted to the office of Governor Dave Freudenthal for consideration. The person appointed to serve will do so until February 28, 2011 when the term expires. At that time, interested candidates may seek appointment for a full 3-year term. Please contact Patti Burns, pburns@state.wy.us, or 307-777-5647 if you have questions.

The deadline for submitting applications is July 14, 2010.

Business plaza opens in Fort Washakie

Anne Even sends this invitation:

Wind River Development Fund invites you to attend the grand opening of their new location and be among the first to tour the Frank B. Wise Business Plaza.

Wednesday, June 23, 3-5 p.m.

3 Ethete Road

Fort Washakie, Wyoming

Opening ceremonies will begin promptly at 3 p.m.

Refreshments will be served.

FMI: Anne Even, Business Development Specialist, Wind River Development Fund, Fort Washakie, Toll Free (877) 253-3824, http://www.wrdf.org/, aeven@wrdf.org

Providing financial opportunities on the Wind River Indian Reservation

Native American Business Expo in Lander

The Wind River Development Fund in Fort Washakie presents the Native American Business Expo & Wind River Business Conference on Thursday, April 22, 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the Best Western Inn in Lander.

The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) provides local entrepreneurs and businesses with small business training, counseling, and business loans.

FMI: 307.335.7330 or toll free 877.253.3824 •

PND: Artists hit hard by sour economy! Artists: So what else is new?

From a Nov. 30 article in Philanthropy News Digest (wyomingarts thanks Ellen Sue Blakey of Thermopolis, who sent the article):

A new survey of American artists — two-thirds of whom say they earned less than $40,000 and a third less than $20,000 last year — found that slightly more than half experienced a drop in income in 2009, the New York Times reports.

Commissioned by nonprofit artist-support organization Leveraging Investments in Creativity and funded in part by the Ford Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the survey found that 51 percent of the more than fifty-three hundred respondents saw their incomes fall in the past year, while 18 percent reported a drop of at least 50 percent.

The report, The Artists and the Economic Recession Survey: Selected Findings (8 pages, PDF), found that the most commonly reported impact of the recession was a decline in sales, followed by lower rates or fees. In addition, more than a third of the surveyed artists reported fewer and smaller grants, fewer grant opportunities, and fewer scheduled bookings and chances to exhibit, perform, or present their work.

The survey also provided statistical support for long-held beliefs about artists, such as they tend to work day jobs to support themselves, musicians and architects tend to do better financially than writers and painters, and more than a third of working artists lack adequate health insurance.

According to Judilee Reed, executive director of Leveraging Investments in creativity, "A lot of the artists who were reporting were telling us, 'I live in a recession all the time, so this downturn has really not been so different for me.'"

Kennedy, Randy. “A Survey Shows Pain of Recession for Artists.” New York Times 11/24/09.

Customer Appreciation Day Dec. 5 at Sheridan Stationery and Gallery

The good folks at Sheridan Stationery Books & Gallery at 206 N. Main in downtown Sheridan send this:

Stop by the store on Saturday, December 5, for our annual Customer Appreciation Day. John and Toni will be serving his wonderful black bean chili and scrumptious hot buttered rums, as well as a number of other treats. Let us show you how much we have enjoyed serving you this past year. Those of you who have experienced our hospitality in the past know how good it is. Gail Irwin of Casper will also be in the store from 1-3 p.m. signing copies of her book about her blind dog Sage. This is a great inspirational tale.

You're invited to pre-Summit workshop on arts-based development in the West

This e-mail invitation comes from wyomingarts' colleague Randy Oestman:

Greetings Everyone,

I'm hoping you might be able to spread the word on this Pre-Summit Workshop I am putting together. Anyone may attend free regardless of attending the WAC Arts Summit.

Pre-Summit Workshop
"Creating and Sustaining Arts Based Development in the Rural West"
Facilitated by Dan Wecks
Wednesday September 23, 2009
Location: Cheyenne Depot Museum
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This Workshop is free to all, but attendees must RSVP!

More than ever communities across Wyoming are realizing the importance of Community Development and the Arts with may of the same questions being raised. Where do we start? How do we determine and communicate the importance of arts and creativity? What are possible projects? How do we attract participants? How do we fund this project and make it sustainable?

This will be an open discussion exploring successful and unsuccessful examples of Community Development and Arts projects from smaller communities with an opportunity to glean information from a very successful Community Development Leader. This meeting will also provide an opportunity for community leaders with similar visions to network and connect for assistance in making things happen throughout Wyoming.

Dan Wecks has a broad background of experience including government, non-profit, and private business. Before deciding to follow his heart to do what mattered to him, he was President of a large real estate and development company. He was elected to the Manitou City Council and later as its Mayor. During this time he became the Executive Director of the Business of Art Center, a business incubator for artists and arts organizations in Manitou Springs.. Dan’s twin loves are assisting arts/community organizations, schools and government in looking to creative solutions to community issues and helping build Strength Based organizations through the development of their people.

In recognition of challenging economic times, the Wyoming Arts Council is offering travel stipends to Wyoming artists, arts organization representatives and community leaders interested in attending the Arts Summit Sept. 24-25 at Little America in Cheyenne.

Thank you!

Cheers,

Randy Oestman
Wyoming Arts Council
Community Development and the Arts Specialist
307.777.7109

C'mon down to Cheyenne -- WAC offers travel stipends to Sept. 24-25 Arts Summit

In recognition of challenging economic times, the Wyoming Arts Council is offering travel stipends to Wyoming artists, arts organization representatives and community leaders interested in attending the Arts Summit Sept. 24-25 at Little America in Cheyenne.

The Summit features sessions by renowned experts exploring linkages among the arts, government, community development, economic prosperity and business.

The WAC travel stipends, available on a first-come, first-served basis, will help defray costs associated with the conference. Cheyenne residents can receive reimbursement for their Arts summit Registration; residents outside Cheyenne but within a 50-mile radius can receive $150; and those living in Wyoming outside the 50-mile radius can receive $300. Please – only one request/representative per arts organization may receive a travel stipend.

In return, the Arts Council asks stipend recipients to attend all sessions and fill out an in-depth evaluation that will help the agency with its strategic planning for the future of the arts in Wyoming.

Postmark deadline for requests is Sept. 15. Please call the WAC at 307-777-7742 and ask for Linda Coatney if you’re representing an arts organization, government (local, state, federal), schools, college/university or business. Ask for Michael Shay or Linda Coatney if you’re an individual artist.

For more information about the Summit, go to the WAC web page at http://www.wyoarts.org/

MPIBA offers literacy grants up to $1,000

This press release comes from the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association in Fort Collins, Colo.:

To support non-profit literacy programs in our region, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association offers grants of up to $1,000.

Since 1990 MPIBA has awarded $85,000 to literacy programs.

Applications are available from the MPIBA website. Completed applications must be received in the MPIBA office by September 1. All applicants will receive information on the disposition of grant monies by October 9.

Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association is a non-profit trade association whose mission is to support independent booksellers in our region and to raise awareness of the value of independent businesses within our communities.

FMI: Lisa Knudsen, 1-800-752-0249.